A classic bracket pool for the World Cup Stage 2 tournament. Players fill out the entire 15 game bracket before stage 2 starts.

Question: But there isn't much time between the first and second stages.

Answer: The teams that play first in stage 2 are done first in stage 1, so, picks can be enterred for those games before stage 1 is over. We'll put the teams in as they are decided. That way, you and your friends can make your picks on time.

The object of the game is to accumulate as many points as you can each stage, for the entire tournament. On our standings page, you can view pool standings by stage or by the entire world cup tournament, at any time.

There are 32 teams in stage 1, aka the "group stage", of the world cup, which are in 8 groups of 4 teams each. There are 48 stage 1 matches on the stage 1 picks sheet. The 48 stage 1 matches are known and scheduled, after the final draw is completed in December of the preceeding year, roughly 6 months before the first match.

For stage 1, each team will play 3 games, in round-robin style. Each team will play each of the other teams in the same group. The top 2 teams from each group, 16 teams in all, will make it to stage 2, the knockout phase of the world cup tournament.

Stage 2, the knockout phase, is bracket style, win or go home. Each round of the cuts the remaining number of teams in half, until the final, which will produce the world cup champion. There are 16 stage 2 games, which includes the 3rd and 4th place match.

Teams for stage 2 games will be enterred into the system, shortly after they are determined.

Total Goals for all Teams for Each Stage

Pool administrators can abdicate their admin prividges, to avoid any chance or thought of impropriety, from other soccer bracket poolies. We ask that the pool administrator send us an email requesting us to remove his admin priviledges after all the settings have been configured and all expected players have joined. This is so no other admin tasks are required.